Jump to content

Deus Ex Mankind Divided. Forgive and Forget?

Recommended Posts

I remember when Inquisition came out, and hearing about the micro transactions that game had pissed me off. But today when I heard the new Deus Ex game was finally out I decided to check it out and see how the reviews were on steam.

 

One use DLC.

 

Micro transactions in the SINGLE player campaign.

 

Is this something gamers should just ignore and let it happen? I honestly think this is bullshit and if left unchecked is only going to get worse. What the fuck Square Enix?

Share this post


Link to post

IMO the problem has more to do newer gamers rather than gamers that just don't care. Sure they aren't exactly helping matters but they're a minority when compared to the constant influx of new gamers each and every year. You see as the market for video games becomes more casual(which in of itself isn't a bad thing) the more it's able to reach new people who've never played video games before and thus are unfamiliar with the environment. People only have to be burned once to learn that fire is bad but the thing with constantly changing audiences is that you can burn them as many times as you want because they are inexperienced people on top of never being the same people. Couple this with the people who just don't care and hype-mongers and you've got yourself a war in which the games industry has already won. Unfortunately this will never change as much as I would love it to.

I'm not saying I started the fire. But I most certain poured gasoline on it.

Share this post


Link to post

While it does seem pretty scummy, I'm gunna have to go with a pretty solid "Eh" on this one.

It's a single player game, and I really don't feel like I'm missing out by not getting these micro-transactions, especially since they look like they just make the game stupidly easy. If people want to waste their money on that crap, let them.

 

But yeah, the 1 per save file thing is pretty stupid. Still not sure it's worth bombing the review score, though...

Makes me wish Steam has a little more nuanced review system. Something that lets you flag certain categories as being the problem, rather than just the whole thing.

I HAVE to blow everything up! It's the only way to prove I'm not CRAZY!

Share this post


Link to post

It doesn't ruin the game for me at all. I'm still having a great time with it. And the unique weapons can be accessed in every new playthrough so it's only consumables that are one time use only.

I feel the issue has been blown up a little bit, mostly by people who have some sort of agenda against microtransactions.

But the game never forces you to make these transactions, it's just kinda saying "hey, this is here if you need it". And the game is perfectly playable without ever making them so... meh.

Game developments at http://nukedprotons.blogspot.com

Check out my music at http://technomancer.bandcamp.com

Share this post


Link to post
It doesn't ruin the game for me at all. I'm still having a great time with it. And the unique weapons can be accessed in every new playthrough so it's only consumables that are one time use only.

I feel the issue has been blown up a little bit, mostly by people who have some sort of agenda against microtransactions.

But the game never forces you to make these transactions, it's just kinda saying "hey, this is here if you need it". And the game is perfectly playable without ever making them so... meh.

I'm kinda under the impression that whole "Augment Your Pre-order" fiasco has left a bad taste in peoples' mouths. Because of it they're extra harsh then they would've been otherwise.

 

I've also heard the story in Mankind Divided is weak. But I don't recall Human Revolution's story being particularly revolutionary(badum tish!) either so I really wasn't expecting much and I don't consider a weak story to be a great loss for a Deus Ex game. Hell Deus Ex 1's story wasn't even good to begin with so what were you people expecting? As long as I can do the dumbest shit imaginable and have it somehow work in my favor that's Deus Ex to me.

I'm not saying I started the fire. But I most certain poured gasoline on it.

Share this post


Link to post

I've also heard the story in Mankind Divided is weak. But I don't recall Human Revolution's story being particularly revolutionary(badum tish!) either so I really wasn't expecting much and I don't consider a weak story to be a great loss for a Deus Ex game. Hell Deus Ex 1's story wasn't even good to begin with so what were you people expecting? As long as I can do the dumbest shit imaginable and have it somehow work in my favor that's Deus Ex to me.

 

This is kinda weird for me.... I mean - I saw the The Mechanical Apartheid trailer for the Manking Divided and I was totally hooked, that trailer imho was movie quality.

Share this post


Link to post

But the game never forces you to make these transactions, it's just kinda saying "hey, this is here if you need it". And the game is perfectly playable without ever making them so... meh.

 

I heard Praxis Kits are part of the microtransactions. Is it possible to get all of the upgrades without spending real money?

Quote

"We don't call them loot boxes", they're 'surprise mechanics'" - EA

 

Share this post


Link to post

But the game never forces you to make these transactions, it's just kinda saying "hey, this is here if you need it". And the game is perfectly playable without ever making them so... meh.

 

I heard Praxis Kits are part of the microtransactions. Is it possible to get all of the upgrades without spending real money?

 

It is possible to get all the upgrades without spending money, but its just one of those things that its existence is kind of irking for what it represents.

Share this post


Link to post

But the game never forces you to make these transactions, it's just kinda saying "hey, this is here if you need it". And the game is perfectly playable without ever making them so... meh.

 

I heard Praxis Kits are part of the microtransactions. Is it possible to get all of the upgrades without spending real money?

Hell yeah, the game has a NG+ mode so eventually you WILL get fully decked out. The microtransactions are just there for lazy or impatient people I guess...

Game developments at http://nukedprotons.blogspot.com

Check out my music at http://technomancer.bandcamp.com

Share this post


Link to post
The microtransactions are just there for lazy or impatient people I guess...

And people that don't know about trainers...

Don't insult me. I have trained professionals to do that.

Share this post


Link to post

It's essentially the free version of those purchased things... Besides, it's almost more fun making the trainer than it is playing the game. lol

Don't insult me. I have trained professionals to do that.

Share this post


Link to post
It's essentially the free version of those purchased things... Besides, it's almost more fun making the trainer than it is playing the game. lol

 

So yes, lazy and impatient people.

 

At any rate, I don't plan on using any of the microtransactions, dunno if I'll get the game soon, or wait for price drop. I want to play MD, but I don't want to support microtransactions in single player games.

Quote

"We don't call them loot boxes", they're 'surprise mechanics'" - EA

 

Share this post


Link to post

I'll get MD from a torrent before I buy it... I like to test first. (I did this with HR as well)

Don't insult me. I have trained professionals to do that.

Share this post


Link to post
I have to agree with Jim Sterling on this one

 

9sBtkU2eJ4Y

 

I watched Sterling's video. I agree that the one-time use consumables are BS, and that this in the abstracts is a shitty practice, but at the same time, I don't think its that big of a deal in a game that is well-made. Certainly not enough to can the game as trash.

 

I got the pre-orders but for the sake of a challenge, I'm currently playing the game once without touching them just to see how hard it actually is, and I'm playing the non-violent route so it should be even harder. So far, I haven't lacked ammo (I'm playing on Give me a Challenge), I've not had to craft anything yet, I could use some more augs to make stuff easier, but then that's the whole point of progression and why most of Jensen's augs get removed in the first place and I feel like I'm getting stuff back pretty quickly. I've just made it to Golem City as well so I don't feel like I'm that far into the game either.

 

IMO, the game feels balanced enough that you don't need to use microtransactions to progress, which is usually what microtransactions are for in games like Farmville or mobile games, they're designed so that you're meant to be tempted to buy them because otherwise you will make no significant progress, they're meant to be paywalls. So far I haven't been tempted at all since I've been getting enough praxis kits fairly regularly to get stuff I want, I haven't hit any walls where its impossible to proceed without getting some maxed out aug branches.

 

Which if that is the case, to me, the transactions were put in as an afterthought since I have a suspicion that it costs Square Enix, or any other company basically nothing to put them in (and conversely, it gives them an opportunity to potentially make even more money for basically zero effort on their part). As gamers, we cannot control the suckers who want to spend all their money at once and get a maxed out Jensen right away, and if the game's not forcing us to, then what is the complaint other than we think its a scummy business practice on Square Enix's part? There's nothing to complain about if the game isn't forcing us to use it, and if we don't partake in it anyway, its suckers who use it.

 

And in terms of the argument that this is a scummy business practice, lets be honest, businesses of any kind beyond gaming love to get money out of suckers who are made to think they need something when they truly don't. This is not unique to gaming and never was. From the day you're born to the day you die, every business wants access to what's in your wallet and to make you feel like you're getting a bargain even if you're not. Cosmetics, clothing, food, cars, even fucking funeral homes, this is a common business practice that is essentially tied to marketing, and it has a long tradition. Gaming is just one of many places it creeps into since making games is a business.

 

And ultimately, if even good games are doing it, then what is the solution? There is none other than trying to boycott companies for just being companies, or protesting people spending their money stupidly. Both of which are ridiculous, because you'd never see people doing the same thing for any other type of business. The day people protest that advertising is convincing them that they need something when they don't, rather than realizing they're the idiots who are falling for the advertising in the first place one way or another will be a new low point in society.

 

Its much easier just to focus on yourself and be a smart buyer than to worry about other people's money in situations like this. Wait until pay-walls become a common practice in AAA games and then we can protest the games.

 

I also think there are bigger problems in gaming beyond Microtransactions that actually stop people from enjoying games. Microtransactions are an annoyance that aren't a big problem unless they're tied to paywalls, games getting killed because they are attached to an online server and a company feels like they've squeezed every penny out of that well so they shut it down is a more dire issue for the future of gaming. Where as Ross has said, we'll basically be left with a generation of games that nobody can play again. Yet other than Ross, I cannot say I've seen anyone really discuss it, certainly not many big gaming personalities.

Long is the way; and hard, that out of Hell leads up to Light-Paradise Lost

By the power of truth, while I live, I have conquered the universe-Faust

The only absolute is that there are no absolutes, except that one

Vae Victus-Brennus

Share this post


Link to post

But just because they happened to not matter for the game balance in this certain title doesn't mean they won't in others. I feel like waiting for games to go completely to the shitter and only then starting to complain is not a good idea. And while I do agree that gaming is a business and businesses are greedy and want to get every penny you've got (no matter what industry), that doesn't mean we have to be happy about it. After all it's perfectly possible to do business and be consumer friendly (we have enough examples of that).

 

And I hate to parrot Jim Sterling again, but he did also make a follow-up addressing the point that the tacked on features did in fact have impact on the game:

oVbj4GuuZTA

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Share this post


Link to post
But just because they happened to not matter for the game balance in this certain title doesn't mean they won't in others. I feel like waiting for games to go completely to the shitter and only then starting to complain is not a good idea. And while I do agree that gaming is a business and businesses are greedy and want to get every penny you've got (no matter what industry), that doesn't mean we have to be happy about it. After all it's perfectly possible to do business and be consumer friendly (we have enough examples of that).

 

And I hate to parrot Jim Sterling again, but he did also make a follow-up addressing the point that the tacked on features did in fact have impact on the game:

oVbj4GuuZTA

 

Knew it, knew that Square Enix just tacked it on to make a buck after Eidos was basically finished.

 

And although that video is interesting, it doesn't really prove exactly what impact the features have on the game. What exactly does Jim prove besides the fact Eidos was put under extreme pressure by Square Enix with a month to incorporate them into an already balanced game? He's proven that this shit reflects terribly on Square Enix's work ethics at least in regards to Eidos Montreal's teams, but actual gameplay? They didn't break the game to make those micro-transaction elements seem more appealing, which WOULD have been a noticeable impact caused by Enix's orders to Eidos in order to actually make those micro transactions look more tantalizing to players. But nothing in that anonymous info dump proves that. Nor has my gameplay experience so far reflected that. I haven't been put in situations where I'm left thinking: "Man, if only I could immediately max out all my augs right now.", and I've almost maxed out all of the aug branches I want for a non-violent mostly stealthy play anyway and I don't think I'm even halfway through the game yet.

 

It also doesn't change the point of: what can we do about it other than sit and look pissed? Tell Square Enix we're pissed again? We've already established that companies like Square Enix, EA, and others will continue to pull this shit regardless of how much attention their antics are given (I mean, this is the shit they pulled in spite of the massive flak they caught for "Augment Your Pre-Order", you think they'd stop just because the mousetrap catches them twice?), and so long as even one sucker spends money on the feature, they're already justified to keep doing it. There's nothing illegal about what they're doing, its just shitty practice, of which there are dozens that exist within the industry that have existed for at least a decade, none of them have gone anywhere despite info dumps, controversial news stories, harsh and widely viewed criticism by some of the biggest professional and popular critics in the industry, or enormous fuck-ups by devs and companies alike. None of it has gotten rid of scam DLC, shitty career prospects for more than a few video game programmers, Pre-order culture, games tied to central servers, ridiculous bonus or salary conditions in some companies (As recently as Fallout: New Vegas, there was still shit going on where the game's Metacritic score was basically the subject of whether or not the dev team would get a bonus for their work), or most recently with Micro transactions.

 

Not much of it has changed, which to me is as much a testament to the protesting power of gamers on most serious gaming issues, as it is a testament to the amount of import that the majority of companies who make the games for us and the wider public hold gamer's issues: almost none at the end of the day.

 

The only effective way to make game companies listen is to vote through your wallet. Unfortunately, when most casual people want to play good games, they're not going to care about the ethics of indirectly supporting tacked on elements that ultimately don't really matter to them, and they aren't being forced to buy. Especially if they don't give a shit to even keep up to date on gaming news!

 

Because then what's the solution? Do not buy even otherwise good or great games and ensure that all of those franchises basically die for the sake of principle?

 

IDK. I think its simply much easier to wait until you have those clear-cut examples so that everyone can see just how bad it is, simply because you're never going to convince the casuals unless you can actually prove they're being ripped off. Gods know the examples already exist on TONS of mobile games and browser games, have those examples made any difference? No! Instead we see more and more of those same things getting dragged into console and PC gaming. Really shows you where the priorities of mobile gamers are, eh?

 

It doesn't mean you have to like the practice, I certainly don't. I'm just incredibly cynical about the ability of gamers to actually change the situation. Because what so far has Mankind Divided's history shown us? That if one scheme fails spectacularly in the public eye, they'll just try another that doesn't involve the public being able to see it take effect until release, at which point the company can just wipe their hands and say: "Hey, nobody's forcing you to buy it. The game is perfectly playable even if you don't use it." Then what is the public supposed to do? Demand refunds on a game that is otherwise good or great if not for those elements you're not even being forced or significantly encouraged to buy?

 

I mean, it easy to argue something like The Last Stand: Dead Zone uses the concept of micro transactions to actually hamstring a game and make you addicted so that you can keep drip feeding money just to significantly progress, that's trying to con money out of suckers who think they're playing a good game when in reality its just a time sink and money pit. Its much harder in this case where you can significantly progress perfectly fine without ever touching that stuff, and are playing a genuinely good game with real production value behind it.

 

Plus at the end of the day, the loss of sales or any repercussions from this are more likely to hurt Eidos first and foremost before it does Square Enix, which if Jim's sources are correct are mostly innocent devs trying to make great games, but are bound by parent publisher who cares more about money.

 

On that note, IDK what's up with Square Enix or basically every other major Japanese-based game related company I know of besides From Software going crazy with their IPs and projects in one respect or another. Konami, Nintendo, and Square Enix lately have all been up to crazy shit in the last year or two, Capcom and Sega as well, arguably. Its like they've gotten out of touch with what gamers actually want. Or at least that's my feeling.

 

In any case, I've ranted long enough.

Long is the way; and hard, that out of Hell leads up to Light-Paradise Lost

By the power of truth, while I live, I have conquered the universe-Faust

The only absolute is that there are no absolutes, except that one

Vae Victus-Brennus

Share this post


Link to post

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in the community.

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


×
×
  • Create New...

This website uses cookies, as do most websites since the 90s. By using this site, you consent to cookies. We have to say this or we get in trouble. Learn more.